I've had some answers from people that say they believe in heaven, but not hell. Isn't that selective belief?
2006-10-08 10:56:34 · 18 answers · asked by Snowth 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I guess I was talking about Christianity, but any opinions on other religions would be of great interest too.
2006-10-08 11:01:01 · update #1
In ancient Jewish tradition Satan is simply an angel doing the work that God assigned to Satan to do.
The word Satan means challenger. With the idea of Satan challenging us, or tempting if you will. This description sees Satan as the angel who is the embodiment of man's challenges. This idea of Satan works closely with God as an integral part of Gods plan for us. His job is to make choosing good over evil enough of a challenge so that it becomes clear to us that there can be only one meaningful or logical choice.
Contrast this to Christianity, which sees Satan as God's opponent. In Jewish thought, the idea that there exists anything capable of setting itself up as God's opponent would be considered polytheistic or setting up the devil to be an equally powerful polarity to god or a demigod.
Oddly, proof for The Christian satan/devil mythology is supposedly found in the ancient Jewish texts that were borrowed to create the bible. One can’t help but wonder how Christians came up with such a fantastically different interpretation of Gods assistant Satan in their theology.
Other hints about Satan’s role in human relations can be seen if you look at the name Lucifer. It meaning in the original tongue translates as Light bearer or light bringer. Essentially the bringer of enlightenment. The temptations of the Satan idea bring all of us eventually into Gods light. Hardly the Evil entity of Christian mythology.
Love and blessings
don
2006-10-08 15:09:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've considered myself a Christian since 1999, when I turned to religion in a period of my life which was really bad. It was a convenient way of personifying and identifying the vague feeling I'd always had of there being a higher power. I decided to call that higher power "God" and asked God to help me get out of the living hell my life had become. It worked, so I've continued to pray to God daily ever since. I am not stupid and I can fully appreciate the flaws in this thinking, but I say, what the hey, it's my life and I like it like that! I think Heaven is being happy and Hell is being miserable, chronically I mean, and no, I don't believe in Satan as portrayed in the popular mythology. I don't think anyone HAS to believe anything they don't want to, and I would never try to tell anyone else to believe what I believe rather than what they believe.
2006-10-08 11:14:56 · answer #2 · answered by Kango Man 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I believe in Satan as much as I beleive in God. Also I believe hell exists.
Some people don't believe in hell because they can't or won't believe that a loving god would create such a place. They also don't believe that God would send a person it hell for all of eternity for finite crimes, so yes to answer your question it is selective belief.
-Jax6213
2006-10-08 11:00:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A lot of christians go with "selective belief". Sad, but true. They don't want to believe that Sunday isn't the sabbath, because they were raised to believe it was, even though the bible makes it clear Saturday has always been the sabbath. "Remember the sabbath and keep it holy" does not mean "or change it to Sunday if you feel like it". They want to believe its Sunday, so they do. They want to believe theres no hell, so thats what they believe.
2006-10-08 11:07:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I say that belief is a personal thing. Wether or not I say that you should believe in satan should not matter. You have a RIGHT to believe what you feel is right. I would however say there is generally a contrast in most things. (Up & Down, Left & Right, Wrong & Right, Black & White, Good & Bad etc etc).
Good luck in figurin it out
2006-10-08 11:01:40 · answer #5 · answered by shevlad2004 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Who is it that TELLS you to believe? Who ever it, is ask them if they have actually had a word in Gods ear, or the other way round maybe. If they are from an organised religion they'll quote what they call, a holly book at you, then again that's a form of here say init.
2006-10-08 11:19:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I'm a christian and I think it's dangerous to dismiss satan. He is talked about as real in the bible, and we are warned to be on our guard against him. If we aren't ready for his attacks we won't be able to withstand them. It's dangerous to overestimate him too though, his powers are limited and Jesus defeated his power on the cross, we only have to stand on God's word to beat him.
2006-10-08 22:39:41 · answer #7 · answered by good tree 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Satan exists, God offered Christ, his son as an atonement for the sins of the world to him, so that we may enter heaven.
Repent and be baptised.
2006-10-08 10:59:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
believers believe if there not good enough satan will take care of them which is more proof Christianity is a farce.
2006-10-08 10:59:46 · answer #9 · answered by Matthew Shlmn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You probably need to define your God first.
Many native american religions have no Satan.
2006-10-08 10:59:21 · answer #10 · answered by Mere Mortal 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋